Paddling GlovesTom Watson reviews some general optionsfor protecting hands while out paddling:Simple neoprene, poggies, scuba gloves, etcQuick Tips for Canoe Camping TripsKevin Callan passes along some simple tricks he as learned over the years aboutcamping and paddling.. with videos too!

Reviews for Cricket Kayak by Dimension

Used my Cricket for the Shenango River
Watchers cruise down the Shenango River
in September....Worked great..tracks great for a little kayak and handled the
few rapids with ease... fun little boat
for the money...

Bought this kayak on Halloween 2013 and finally got into the water on May 24th. For a short kayak it tracks really good, also fairly quick. The jury is still out on the built in backrest.... after a while it wasn't all that cozy. Some scuppers would be nice as the boat did take on some water... But overall good for a cheap kayak... I think that Ocean Kayaks is offering a more upscale version called the Banzai...

Fast kayak; tracks nice; terrible in the surf or with choppy waters due to no scupper holes (who thinks of no scupper holes for a SOT?); nimble and good for a kid; not as great for an adult in more or less open water since it can be a little tippy. Molded seat makes you lean a little too far back with no adjustment. Kayak is a little too low in the water.

OK kayak for slow moving rivers and lakes, but not for choppy water since it takes too much water in. In 20 minutes of choppy water it feels as if it wants to sink. The bottom of the hull is also very thin as mine was placed on the floor and developed a flat surface where there should have been a v hull shape. Yes, kayaks are not supposed to be stored on their bottom, but this kayak has an extremely thin bottom compared to Ascend's, Lifetime's, Emotion's, and Ocean Kayaks (all kayaks I have used in the past and continue to use sometimes).

Kayak has an MSRP of $199 but you get what you pay for. Better kayak for $50 more is Emotion Spitfire at $250 and 8 feet, fast with some poor tracking, but it comes with 6 scupper holes and it does great in choppy waters!

I have spent many years paddling around the lakes in a friend's Cricket. It has been dragged over rocks and shorelines, rolled down hills, left sitting in the sun for weeks at a time and still after 11 years of abuse shows few signs of wear and tear.

It has been a joy to paddle, tracks well and being small, has allowed me to explore many tight, shallow marsh areas and streams I'd never have had the chance to enter in my larger kayak. The molded seat is extremely comfortable and has no cloth parts like most others which I have found become mildewy and smelly from constant dampness. We've even tried pulling it behind a motorboat...what a ride! albeit wet.

I am now looking to buy my own little Cricket. Summers just wouldn't be the same without one. I also own a Wilderness Systems Manteo for cold weather paddling but I still prefer the Cricket for those hot summer days when I want to dangle my feet in the water, drink my coffee, paddle around the bays and soak up the surroundings.
Move over beavers, I'm coming in.

Just paddled my Cricket for the first time today. I tried an SOT boat years ago, when they first came out, and was severely underwhelmed by its bulk and slowness. The Cricket is another story altogether.

It has a very respectable turn of speed for a SOT kayak, and it's responsive to sweep strokes and leaning. You can almost carve turns in it. It's inexpensive, and best of all, it's light and short enough so I can throw it into our truck without help or strained muscles. It's the perfect boat for the type of flatwater inland paddling I do these days.

I bought a Cricket earlier this year for our kids (9 & 8) to use. We live on a little island in the middle of the Rideau River. The Cricket can easily be carried (by me) or dragged (by my son!) the 300 ft or so to the river's edge. Handles well and tracks just fine... good fit even for younger kids. I just (today) bought a Wilderness Systems Ripper - we will see how it compares!

More bang for your buck. This little gem, tracks really well for being as short as it is, so flat water she can keep up great with some of the longer more streamlined yaks. This little baby kicks butt for river play where you have small tight turns, very responsive... yes water does come in when you go over falls, but still handles great. Not sure I would hit solid class III with it but II and under all kinds of fun, and easy to get back in when you go splat. Great for really shallow spots too... a great little yak!

Just bought one at a garage sale (cheap). We took it on a trip down the beautiful Muskegon river. My grandson and son-in-law took turns useing it and they were both very impressed with it. I can't wait to try it in the "surf" at Lake Michigan. It tracks and handles very well. I don't no why Kayak manufacturers don't put some way of attaching a cable lock on them.

I've been on the water all my life but usually in a sailboat. Recently we decided to get back into paddling and we purchased two Dimension Crickets. After having friend who raved about their stability, easy handing, and easy to lift that my wife is able to slip it into the back of the pick-up or on to the car top rack. The Cricket can easily scoot along with a 65 lbs kid paddling or move just as easily with someone like me who's just over 200 lbs. (225 max capacity). Well if your looking for a light weight sit-on-top Kayak for fun and ease of use you'll love this 9ft 6", 28 1/2" wide,33lb, kayak. The cockpit seat is very comfortable and the sculptured back rest is very relaxing. Best of all, the Dimension Cricket tracks well, even when your power stroking, the bow keeps a line within an inch. Dollar for dollar we feel that it's the best $379 (CDN) we ever spent for a small boat. It's tuff, durable and well designed but most of all it's enjoyable. Our kids love paddling them and we do too.

After purchasing Dimension's Typhoon model, I was looking for a slightly smaller and lighter sit on top kayak for my kids. Well forget that. I like to use this 9'6", 33lb, 28 1/2" wide kayak as well. It's rated for 225 lbs and I feel very comfortable in this model being 6'3" and 220 lbs myself. It is very easy to paddle and you can get tracking at some pretty good speeds. At 33 lbs, it is also very easy to transport.

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